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“The pair exchanged naked photographs of each other and he asked her to let him have her dirty underwear,” he said.

“They had arranged to meet in Taunton for sex, but he got cold feet at the last minute.”

Defending, Rebecca Bradberry said the girl had sent the images willingly and that after Rowsell was arrested, he made full admissions to police and entered his guilty plea at the earliest opportunity.

“She was fifteen-and-a-half years old,” she said. “She instigated meeting for sex, but he accepts that he sent messages that incited her to sexual activity, and he admits that he had naked images of her.”

Sentencing Rowsell, Judge David Evans imposed a three year community order on both counts and said that he must attend a 90-day program for sex offenders.

He was also told he must undergo 40 days of rehabilitation activity, do 120 hours of unpaid work, and will also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

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The judge told him: “The girl was under the age of consent and not yet mature enough to deal with this sort of communication.

“She was insecure about her body image and you traded on that insecurity.

“You arranged to meet her for sex, but you got cold feet – it is only because this did not happen that there was not greater harm.

“You were rumbled by a friend of your girlfriend and arrested. You have shown a high degree of remorse and although I could pass an immediate prison sentence, it would be disproportionate to the aim of sentencing.